Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival

Jess Green’s Bright Sparks!

Jess Green – Guitar & Vocals
Lachlan McLean – Alto Saxophone
Sandy Evans – Tenor Sax
Adrian Shaw – Trumpet
John Hibbard – Trombone
Zoe Frater – Bass
Ronny Ferella – Drums

Jess Green has assembled some bright, Melbournian Sparks for this occassion, allowing her to reunite with long time musical collaborater Zoe Frater. Jess’ work borrows heavily from 20th Centruy greats such as Cage and Reich, Mingus and Ellington as well as rockers like Nick Cave and Sonic Youth. The Sydney based guitarist/composer/vocalist has been working in this large ensemble format for several years, and the debut album “The Singing Fish” established her firmly in the Australian Jazz scene. As well as this she has recorded with rock outfit “The New Dynamites” and “Dave Reastons’ 10 Guitar project” and tours regularly with premier Australian Bluesman Jim Conway.

Read on…

John Taylor Electric Guitar Ensemble

Jon Delaney – Guitar
Fran Swinn – Guitar
Ben Edgar – Guitar
Zoe Frater – Bass Guitar

The John Taylor Electric Guitar Quartet performs J S Bach’s “The Art of Fugue” in a style as faithfully as possible to the baroque tradition. Ignore the electric guitars and speaker stacks. Close your eyes. Hope no one turns off the power.

The John Taylor Electric Guitar Quartet was formed in late 2009 with the intent of rediscovering J S Bach’s “The Art of Fugue” for the electric guitar, and a new audience. Given Bach’s fascination for music technology, they have every reason to think he’d be thrilled. Taking their name from the man who arguably contributed more than any other to Bach’s death in 1750, they lovingly recreate the crowning moment of the Baroque period in a fresh, new reading.

www.jondelaney.com

Heilbron|Hansen

Jonathan Heilbron (prepared double bass)
Ida Hansen (prepared double bass)

HEILBRON|HANSEN was formed in 2009 by Jonathan Heilbron (Melbourne) and Ida Duelund Hansen (Denmark) as a way to explore a shared interest in new approaches to Double Bass playing and extended performance practices. Drawing inspiration from avant-noise, contemporary classical music, graphic composition methods and electronic improvisation, this duo will create rumbling, rattling, creaking and roaring sound worlds in an intimate setting.

www.myspace.com/jheilbron

Mal Webb

Around the world and into your brain, vocal adventurer, multi-instrumentist and looping beatboxing songwriter Mal Webb using all sorts of vocal techniques, guitar, mbira, slide trumpet, trombone, chromatic harmonica, a loop recording pedal and you. It’s a lip to lung journey through the physics, physiology and phrivolity of all the sounds a face can make. He’s like Bobby McFerrin, Aphex Twin and Cole Porter playing scrabble. A founding member of the Oxo Cubans, Sock and Totally Gourdgeous, Mal did all the music for the Lano and Woodley TV show and Wogs Out of Work. “You’re a freak!”-Ani DiFranco.

www.malwebb.com

Nick Haywood Quartet

Bassist Nick Haywood has formed this quartet as part of his research for his PhD. Simple tunes and thematic material will be used as focal points for complex ensemble musical exploration. The main focus of this quartet is to develop musical dialogue through listening, interpreting and responding. The quartet features:

Nick Haywood – bass
Stephen Magnusson – guitar
Colin Hopkins – piano
Allan Browne – drums

Read on…

NMIT Laptop Ensemble

Members:

Adrian Sherriff
Myles Mumford
Sarah Whitteron
Graeme Croft
Ida Hansen
Jem Savage

This group was formed in July 2009 at NMIT as an extension of the Bachelor of Australian Popular Music program by Adrian Sherriff and Myles Mumford. The group first performed at the Yarra Edge Festival in September 2009. Initially inspired by Plork (the Princeton laptop orchestra), the group constrains itself to the controller resources that are available on a standard laptop configuration. Each laptop uses a dedicated speaker, provided a degree of sound localisation for each sonic source, much like a traditional chamber ensemble. The repertoire consists of original pieces that are inspired by the work of significant 20th century electronic and experimental music artists such as John Oswald (Plunderphonics) and La Monte Young (microtonality).

Sam Keevers Trio

Sam Keevers – Fender Rhodes
Chris Hale – Bass
Javier Fredes – Percussion

The Sam Keevers trio will be performing interpretations of songs by Archie Roach, one of Australia’s most gifted vocalists and songwriters. Roach’s music is filled with hope, melancholy, love and respect for a culture which for too long has resided in the shadows of Australian society.

Sam Keevers was born in Mount Isa Queensland and began playing piano and cello at age nine. After finishing high school, Sam studied piano at the QLD Conservatorium of music and the Victorian College of the Arts (with Mickey Tucker). Since then he has performed and recorded with many Australian Artists including:- Scott Tinkler, Ian Chaplin, Mark Simmonds, Simon Barker, Brett Hirst, Adam Armstrong, Hamish Stuart, Jonathan Zwartz, Bernie McGann, Phil Slater, James Muller, Jamie Oehlers, Kate Ceberano, The Black Sorrows, Stephen Magnusson, Alison Wedding, Paul Williamson’s Hammond Combo, The Bamboos, Gary Pinto, Guy Sebastian, Daniel Merriweather, Katie Noonan and many others.
Sam has also performed with international artists such as Chris Potter, Bobby Previte’s Bitches Brew Project and Joe Bataan. He was a member of the Vince Jones band from 1996 to 1999, recording the album “Vince Jones Live” at the Basement, Sydney Australia in 1999. In 1996 he formed the 14 piece Latin Jazz group “Los Cabrones” which continues to perform around Melbourne and has performed at international festivals in China and New Caledonia. In 2004 Sam toured Europe with the Jamie Oehlers Quartet performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and was a finalist for the Freedman Jazz Fellowship in 2005 and was nominated for an ARIA award for the album “Grace”, a duo recording with Jamie Oehlers. Read on…

The Spence/Sugg/Wanders Project.

Kris Wanders – tenor sax
Andy Sugg – soprano & tenor sax
Allister Spence – piano
Rory Brown – double bass
Toby Hall – drums

This concert sees a return high energy meeting of expatriate Dutch tenor saxophonist Kris Wanders with the Sydney based rhythm section of Allister Spence, Rory Brown and Toby Hall after they played together in Sydney at the 2006 Jazz Now Festival. For this performance they will also be joined by Wanders regular frontline collaborator Andy Sugg. A participant in the European avant-garde “free jazz’ movement of the 1960’s and 70’s, Wanders credits include Han Bennink and Paul Lovens. Spence is best know for his work with AAO, Clarion Fracture Zone and his own trio (which includes Hall).

Tim Wilson/Andrea Keller Duo

Tim Wilson – Saxophone
Andrea Keller – Piano

This project brings together 2 exciting contemporary improvisers and composers in an intimate duo format. Saxophonist Tim Wilson and pianist Andrea Keller formed their duo in 2007 as a vehicle to explore their original compositions with a focus on open dialogue and interaction.
Having first met when they were both studying at Victorian College of the Arts, Tim and Andrea have since played together in ensembles such as the Paul Williamson Sextet and the Bennetts Lane Big Band. Both members have successful projects of their own (Andrea Keller Quartet, Tim Wilson Trio/Quartet, Logic) which have numerous cd releases, and have toured extensively in Australia and throughout Europe and Asia.
Andrea is a 3 time Aria Award winner, recipient of the 2001 Freedman Fellowship and also the 2010 Australia Council Fellowship grant. Tim was a finalist in the 2006 World Saxophone Competition (held at the BBC Jazz Festival in London) and also at the 2009 Australian National Jazz Awards.
Their debut cd was recorded live at Bennetts Lane Jazz Club in August 2008, and features 9 original compositions by Tim and Andrea.

www.downstreammusic.com.au
www.timwilsononline.com
www.andreakellerpiano.com

Victoria University Music

This performance features current and graduate students from both the TAFE and Undergraduate music performance courses at Victoria University with special guests. The courses incorporate the traditions of contemporary music performance and related technology in an academic and vocationally orientated environment.

Performances will feature original compositions by a range of students that cover a broad range of techniques, styles and instruments.

Xani Kolac – Electric Violin and effects

Melbourne-based electric violinist Xani Kolac works with live loops and electronic effects to create dense and brittle textures in a sweet and melodic context. Breaking away from her trio The Twoks, Xani is going solo for this performance, using improvisation to interpret the space around her to perform a unique and spontaneous composition inspired by other artists’ work.

Xani is a Melbourne-based electric violinist. She is currently studying for her Masters in Music Performance at the Victorian College of the Arts and was awarded an Australian Postgraduate Award scholarship to do so. Her influences as an electric violinist range from the electric guitar through to the music of Astor Piazzolla, Muse and Sigur Ros. Read on…

“Zac Hurren is one bright Light!” – Bernie McGann

The recipient of 2009′s prestigious National Jazz Award, Zac Hurren is “one of the foremost young saxophonists around the Australian scene today.” – Dale Barlow
Hurren’s concept is integrally interactive and alertly intuitive, resulting in music of exuberant expression and fiery inspiration. With a musical intensity considered reminiscent of the great Australian saxophonist Mark Simmonds, Hurren’s trio is not to be missed.

Zac Hurren – saxophone
Leigh Barker – bass
Hugh Harvey – drums